crank
cranks; cranked; cranking; crankly
To crank is to turn or rotate something using a handle or lever. The earliest automobiles required drivers to crank the engine before they could climb in and start driving.
You might crank a paper towel machine in a restroom to unspool the towels, or crank a music box to start it up — in either case, you're turning a handle, which is also called a crank. You can also say that you crank up the engine when you start your car, even though you're not literally turning or winding anything. A completely different kind of crank is a grouchy, opinionated person. This last meaning comes from cranky.
Definitions of crank
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rotate with a crank
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synonyms:
crank up
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type of:
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circumvolve, rotate
cause to turn on an axis or center
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circumvolve, rotate
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fasten with a crank
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start by cranking
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bend into the shape of a crank
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travel along a zigzag path
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a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle
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synonyms:
starter
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types:
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crank handle, starting handle
crank used to start an engine
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type of:
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hand tool
a tool used with workers' hands
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crank handle, starting handle
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a bad-tempered person
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synonyms:
churl, crosspatch, grouch, grump
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types:
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crab, crabby person
a quarrelsome grouch
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fire-eater, hothead
a belligerent grouch
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misanthrope, misanthropist
someone who dislikes people in general
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misogynist, woman hater
a misanthrope who dislikes women in particular
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misandrist
a misanthrope who dislikes men in particular
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type of:
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disagreeable person, unpleasant person
a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
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a whimsically eccentric person
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an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
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type of:
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controlled substance
a drug or chemical substance whose possession and use are controlled by law
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controlled substance
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(used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘crank'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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